First of all, if you are having trouble receiving the download on your mail inbox put your direction here and the Humble team will send you another link with the demo (It seems that their system has some problems with the mail listing). Now you can choose between Windows or Mac OS X.

We couldn’t export a Linux build so far (it’s not so easy as preparing a Mac version and we need to make additional changes to the core structure of the game) so our apologies for the Linux backers 🙁   we’ll keep you informed about any progress in this matter.

These are some of the things that we changed / fixed for this version:

• The save state is fixed. Once the player dies Subject W will rebirth in the previous garden the Continue option will be highlighted by default if you have a save state
• Pressing Intro/Start during the game will ask if you want to return to the main menu  
  
• Pressing Intro/Start during a cutscene will ask if you want to skip it
  
• The ESC key is mapped like the Intro key
  
• The game will launch with the default resolution of your Screen (Res. options will be included in the final version with a windowed mode too)
  
• Now the player is able to climb-descend if keeps the D key (keyboard)/RT (controller) pressed while walking. We’ll probably add different modes of configuration for players that prefer to run with the RT and climb with the X button
  
• The graphic prompt that represents a climbable surface has a wider range (players can identify them from the distance)
  
• Subject W makes a wider jump and it’s easier to move between surfaces without falling from the corners (with this quick fix platforming is less annoying but we’ll keep working on this mechanic)
  
• The difficulty curve is more balanced. From the beginning players will have the possibility to interact with their environment on less stressful situations
  
• Multiple rooms have been adjusted to the new mechanics
  
• The doors keep opened while you enter from another room (you don’t have to see the opening animation twice)
  
• The scientists looking at the back show a new state bubble with a clock, representing that they are distracted and you can advance unnoticed
  
• Some bugs of the map have been solved (all closed doors are represented with a red wall) and now the save gardens are highlighted on green
  
• All the lower hideouts are unified. To use them Subject W needs to be in a crouched position
  
• Fixed the pixel art rotation bug of the guards shooting
  
• Irvine grenades make more damage
  
• The game works on Windows 32 bits 

Problems that we are still working on and might appear while playing:

• The Mac version shows white bands (or a rectangle) if your screen resolution is not proportional to the original resolution of the game (480×270). The final version will show black borders instead of white ones.
  
• Sometimes the character gets stuck inside elevators. We didn’t manage to find this bug in our tests but you can avoid it exiting to the main menu (or the game) and continuing from your last save / launching the game again. This will fix the bug permanently.

If you experience technical issues or have concerns about anything leave a comment below or send us a private message and we’ll look into it.

Here we are with another update, this time to bid farewell to 2018. I can’t deny that it was a rough and bumpy year, following a health issue that forced us to slow down in the animation department + managing to combine our part-time jobs with the development of the game, but overall we were capable of push through and finish some significant milestones. The final boss has been a massive challenge in terms of scale, composition, and playability, but we worked against the clock since the last update to complete most of its animations, only with the character sequences remaining (basically end-game cutscenes). Multiple stage designs and a ton of environmental effects were done too, some of which are shared on this post.

On another note, there is an issue that we wanted to address regarding Kickstarter updates: since most of the mechanics, enemies, and levels are already designed and build, we’ll be having trouble showcasing additional content further on. For the remaining tasks, we’re gonna implement the new subjects and assemble the reverse map. Both elements take part in the “twist” of the game and could potentially ruin the experience of most backers if revealed, so it will be hard to post interesting stuff further on… Hopefully, we’ll manage.

Also, taking on the reverse map or Side B stages we can say that most of the graphics are made and now need to be attached to the original objects of all chapters inside the level editor (walls, vents, platforms, etc.) and that takes a LOT of time.

Our design is not exactly like the one from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in which the levels are flipped upside down. On PLFC a specific event will trigger a change that affects the entire map, modifying most background sprites and adding new enemies, traps, and situations to all scenarios. It’s a challenging process that requires a ton of planning in order to preserve the core terrain structure while adding substantial gameplay changes. We just finished a chapter of the game that relies heavily on this technique, wanna see how it’s made?

Stage A and Stage B

There are multiple things that we have to take in consideration in order to develop a stage with two modes.

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At first hand, we have to define the structural design of the rooms, which should remain as similar as possible in both versions to facilitate the level composition in Unity (sometimes key elements are relocated, or certain parts that couldn’t be accessed appear unlocked, but the playable core is still very similar).

This kind of design is no easy task, considering that the position where we leave certain objects affects the way players can access the rest of the rooms. In some cases, enemies such as floor saws, machine guns, cameras, and even fans can hinder our progress if we do not take into account the disposition of the rooms and the location of their interactive objects.

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This is an example of a level with an interconnected structure, in which every room has A and B variants. In mode A the player will have to redirect the energy of certain sectors to unlock new areas and move forward, using a series of generators distributed through multiple stages.

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Once each puzzle is solved, and the energy has been returned to this floor, the level changes its design to B mode where new enemies and routines are loaded. The structure is practically identical, only the sprites that represent the current state of the rooms are replaced.

Same sprites with different color palettes

Speaking of graphics, in Paradise Lost we do not use real-time lighting, and all the scenarios that require two game modes have to be redrawn with a different color scheme. This may seem laborious, but it is not as hard as it looks. Most of the time the walls and other decoratives of the background are the only sprites that require a full-color overhaul. The rest of interactives and characters are affected by a LUT file (color grading) applied to the camera on each chapter. This parameter changes the general color information, unifying the tones of all the elements.

A sample of objects and characters that don’t require recoloring. LUT blending does the trick

This workflow is essential because it allows to color-blend the common interactives that are placed all around the game without needing to create new animation tables or different sprites for each mode. With a little knowledge of color grading, it is relatively easy to find the value of curves or adequate contrast, avoiding the use of lightning in real time with normal maps (our process is completely ad hoc, having its pros and cons).

Color change has a narrative purpose too, setting the mood of the events that occur during the adventure.

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Depending on the level, some sprites are created to redecorate an existing object: glass cracks, dirt, abandoned paraphernalia, etc.

Swap

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All the work needed to swap the sprites can be performed at a relatively fast pace thanks to a useful tool that we included in the level editor called “Replace instances”. This small but valuable piece of code helps us replace an existing prefab of the stage with another one from the project folder, maintaining the position of said object in the scene and its order in the layer (and thus preventing it from suddenly step above other sprites).

Puzzling

DNA recognition

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We’ve also completed a few parts that required the use of the host ability to unlock panels with the help of the G.E.R. scientists. In some cases, Subject W won’t be able to access certain interactives (a fingerprint is needed), so the Host skill needs to be used to control humans and unlock them. Only specific scientists can access a panel, and the color of the ID will determine if they have the necessary rank to use it (keep in mind that not all will let us see their card, and we’ll have to work our way around them to identify the correct ID without making a fuss).

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These characters give us access to new sections or activate key components. Most hand panels are associated with a central computer next to the thing that we want to unlock, in which the number of individual panels required is shown (in most situations several codes are needed to give us access). Hand panels are scattered through the map, forcing players to explore each point before being able to advance into the next section of the game.  

Pattern puzzles

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These mechanisms require a pattern of pulses that have to be followed in the correct order, determined by a random code generated on the central screen.

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The bar below the sequence will show us the time left to perform the necessary pulsations, having to use both Subject W and a decoy alternatively (the symbol to be executed in the pattern is shown next to each button).

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If we follow the pattern with no errors, a linked element will be unlocked in the same way as the aforementioned hand panels, giving us access to new areas. If we fail the puzzle resets with a new sequence.¨

It may seem simple, but when new elements are added to the mix such as placing different enemies in the room, altering the complexity of the pattern or simply increasing the distance between buttons, we manage to create interesting variations of a straightforward mechanic.

Boom, flash, drip

The animation of effects is one of the most challenging and experimental tasks that one could face. They don’t have joints, nor their movement is restricted by weight. The frame-to-frame poses can be more organic, allowing more freedom without sacrificing quality.  

Regardless of the technique used for each element, we can also alter the speed/framerate drastically to obtain realistic and smoother sequences. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Fired up

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Even if they look complicated, flames are one of the easiest effects to create, and all because they do not require a specific animation pattern (meaning that you do not have to follow with accuracy the previous frames of the timeline).

Slowing down this sample you can see that the freehand technique works perfectly on flames

You have to follow a series of basic rules to create fire:

• Always start from the bottom of the sprite (or surface which the flame will be attached to) and consume it / make it disappear upwards
• Apply a fast animation rate (10 or less fps) to disguise any possible imperfection between frames and also showcase more motion
• Add exterior and interior radiance to the shape to give it vividness

The filters bring the animation to life: orange outer glow and a white inner glow

Another tip: different flares can be grouped to make a wall of fire in any way you want.

Blast from the past  

Explosions are a step up from the previous effect. They require more precision than flames, although once the technique is put to practice they can be created with relative simplicity.

The principle is the same as that of the flare only this time with circles: the fireball ascends as the action progresses and it gets smaller until it disappears. The transition from yellow to orange creates the illusion of fire dying out (others use smoke and soot effects during the consumption of the blast, Metal Slug style).

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The first step is to define a palette that goes from whitish yellow to orange. This will set the color transition of the fireballs.

The main animation it’s as simple as draw a highlighted circle that contracts while going up. We stop applying white light at the middle of the sequence.

Now we can mix different sizes of fireballs, adjusting their position with each frame (It’s important to attach them to the central one). Giving body to the explosion is simple: draw an irregular cloud that follows the fireballs on the layer below (its color will start with the first frame in the lightest orange and end with the darkest one).

After this, we can add details like darker shadows on the lower part of the cloud. Debris and kinematic lines at the sides of the fireballs will improve the animation tremendously. It seems complicated but, with a little bit of expertise, you can even generate an explosion from a single cloud without drawing separate fireballs.

If the explosion starts fast and decelerates progressively the bursting effect will be more intense and realistic. You can also add an alpha degree to the latest frames of the animation to make the cloud disappear.

Electrified!

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This effect is very easy to perform: we can do it freehand style or follow a path around the shape.

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Basically, what you have to do is draw a line on a continuous zigzag pattern, leaving a wide margin between each frame (wider distance + lesser frames = more abrupt).

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The rays should be of a white-blueish color with a phosphorite glow around it. You can also add a flickering effect to the object (add a layer with the object’s form filled in blue with outer glow and duplicate the frame lowering the alpha level. This two frames will be copy+pasted through the rest of the animation).

Lightning bolt

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This electric columns not only add a touch of drama to the cutscenes but also affect the playable situations of the level in question, disorienting the player on key gameplay moments (sorry but not sorry :P)

A lightning effect can be developed in many different ways, although for us -given the scale and style of our sprites- this is the most effective method: we start by making a stroke with a thickness of 4~ pixels and slim it as time goes by until we reach 1px. The sequence is divided into groups associated with the number of pixels of each frame (4 to 1px would be four groups). So, if our animation consists of eight frames, the beam will have the first two frames at 4px, the next two at 3px, other 2 to 2px and the last two at 1px.

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To give dynamism we can alter the orientation of the branches and reduce the movement while erasing its pixels until it disappears. The faster the animation speed, the more realistic will look (the differences between each frame will be less noticeable too).

The radiance of the thunderbolt is achieved by the addition of a blue glow (or a blur) with the shape of the first frame in the layer below. To mimic the light cadence that can be observed in the sky during a storm we have to maintain this glow going at least twice the time of the main animation while fading it to alpha.

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Finally, we release a white flash (affecting the whole scene) triggered at the first frame and blend it to alpha rapidly. The beam’s initial strike is repeated during three cells approx. so we can see the lightning bolt in the back while the flash fades.

Take an umbrella

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First step of a rainfall: determine what kind of downpour are you going to represent. In Paradise Lost, this precipitation comes with a massive storm outside of the G.E.R. building, so the first thing that we established was the orientation of the drops, drawing them in 45 degrees to simulate the force of the wind.

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Its development is relatively simple; we draw a white line that is blended to alpha on top and make it follow a guide drawn from side to side of the surface for about five frames.

Establishing a random rain pattern

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Now we duplicate the cells and relocate the frames multiple times in other positions, giving the feeling of randomness. The higher the speed, the more intense it will appear.

The impact of the drops on the glass is simulated by drawing concentric circles growing from one pixel, all of them blended to alpha progressively. We repeat the process used for the falling drops, duplicating and scattering each wave.

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With both drops and circles finished we can establish a closed loop, masked within the bounds of the glass. Add some thunderbolts, and we got ourselves a perfect storm!

Splatterhouse

The spilling of fluid has two basic rules to follow:

• Start your animation from a single stream that loses thickness with each frame
• Pull the liquid down simulating the effect of gravity
• Always follow a concave parable, no matter the direction of the spill

The onion skin shows the principles previously outlined. As with the rest of the effects, this kind of animation works better at higher rates of fps, so little imperfections won’t be relevant.
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To simulate volume add more layers upon the first stream and scatter the rest of splatters. Not much to add about it, except that you can erase parts of the spill in the last frames to kill the animation in mid-air.

Other stuff

Stuck fans

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We’ve already shown the conduct fans in previous gameplay videos where you can see how they block paths. To avoid getting chopped into a salad, we must reach their switch, either sneaking the decoy through grills and conducts or using other skills to access them. Now we’ve included fans surrounded by dust and mold, accumulated by the lack of use.

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To start them, players will have to look for an additional energy source able to reactivate their switch and unclog the blades.

Accessing the HD

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Most rooms of the game display machinery behind the playable layer, but the lack of animation of these objects made some places look a little dull. On an attempt to spice up the backgrounds with an easy solution we decided to add led lights that can be attached to any mechanic component.

These bulbs are no bigger than 1px, and each of them has a different color pattern (8 animations in total), giving the sensation of hard drives running in real time.

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We think that this simple yet effective resource brings life to the levels and creates a notion of realism around you.

Security Cameras 2.0.  

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As seen above this lines, the security camera was conceived to check the surface of a room between two given points. As we tested all the skills and came up with new mechanics, we realized that a simple tweak could provide us with a ton of new possibilities.

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Now we can give cameras fixed positions, so players need to move them away from their scan limits, keep them busy while Subject W stays unnoticed to other enemies, and so on. It is fun to discover new ways to give you a headache  😀

Aaaand that’s all, folks. With the animation scheme of the last levels/bosses already done, next months we’ll be focused on the remaining cutscenes while implementing the B levels.

As much as we want to, we can’t commit to a specific ETA yet; there are a bunch of cutscenes that need to be completed (at least they are mid-game scenes and don’t require as much animation as the latest boss / end-game videos). Also, the inclusion of the B stages will be a time-consuming labor so we’ll try to speed things up and keep you up to date. As always, thanks for staying with us through this journey.

PS: Wish you all a happy and fulfilling 2019. Our new year’s resolution: finish the damn game!  (ಥ﹏ಥ)

Hello everyone! In the previous update, our main topic was the design of the Symbiot, the robot boss sketched by one of our top tier backers. Following that work, we continued developing the rest of the bosses that were still in a premature state. We took this opportunity to record and share with you some of the key sequences of the Hybrid, the human-plant mutation appeared at the end of the Paradise Lost reveal trailer.

We also added new decorations for the backgrounds and finished entire areas of the map that required a new set of mechanics. We’ll get into detail about the assets designed and the challenges faced to create this stages.

The task that we are struggling the most with is the creation of cutscenes. They are complex and rich in animation (multiple characters talking and doing gestures to recreate dialogues, monitors with interfaces, and so on). They also require a lot of FX to represent specific actions, and the assembly process inside the cutscene editor is long and tedious. It is being one of the most time-consuming labors of the development.

For those reasons, they’ve been set aside so we can focus on finishing the art for the levels and the boss sprites. Hopefully, after the final boss is done (which is massive and needs two different sets of backgrounds, huge animations, and effects) we’ll be able to speed things up.

Without further ado, let’s check some of the content we’ve been working on.

New levels

While doing bosses we also worked on new mechanics for chapters that were half cooked. Here are most of them:

Assembly area

Two of the chapters of PLFC are focused on the platforming of assembly lines where players have to test their skills, avoiding presses and welders while moving on top of conveyor belts.

Still working on the FX for this area, sorry!

First of all, we needed to define the basic gameplay patterns to obtain a coherent level design that also avoided the production of a massive quantity of assets (one of our main problems developing this game).

This is the draft for the basic elements that will be implemented into an assembly line.

Finding the correct balance was no easy task since we didn’t want to end up with repetitive patterns over and over. Luckily, the iterations between all of the elements and the variation of their properties (speed of the conveyors, dimensions of the surfaces, and timing of the presses) gave us a wide range of situations to play with.

After this, we started testing the different elements composing an assembly stage on Unity with some basic graphics like presses, welders, interactive platforms, and conveyors. We made sure that everything was robust enough and all assets were able to interact between them without problems.

Each element has a series of components that can be altered in the main script in order to modify its behavior in the game.

For example, a press has starting and ending points, and we can choose the type of movement it can perform between them: constant (can’t be stopped) or activated (depends on a panel’s button to make a movement). Loop time > represents how long does it take to go from one point to another. Time between loops > how much will it stay still in each position.

With all the tools in hand, we started to define the dimensions of every object and its variations into our vector grid (the script properties and times are assigned in the mockup for every object). Here we make sure that the player is able to jump, interact, and move freely within the level’s space before building assets and moving into the engine.

As stated in other updates 10 pixels equal 1 square in the design grid, so it’s easier to assemble a raw level here and then adapt vector units to pixel art assets knowing the scale in detail.

Sometimes, like in this case, we start making early concepts of levels until some assets are finished/tested, just to have an overall idea of how a mechanic could work and what elements can be sidelined. We try to maintain most of the original concept if it looks interesting, but we can’t avoid the simplification of designs based on the limitations of the final interactives.

This method also helps us see if we need to change the pixel assets, their scale and everything else before moving into the game engine and start assembling and testing the levels.

From top to bottom: platforms + sliders, presses + welder, interactive panels, and conveyor parts

The solid blocks serve two purposes: hide the graphic of a press or a slider inside their structure and work as a platform. All of the sizes have two front decorations to avoid graphic repetition

Another advantage of working with modules is that we can do multiple iterations with different elements. In this case, the head of the welders can be attached to a beam or inserted inside a block

This is a sample of the previous draft without details, ready to test. If everything works as expected we dress up the room with the decoration sprites:

Some of them are created to spice up the conveyor belts or add more depth to the backgrounds with blocks in front of them.

At last, we add the objects that are transported through the assembly lines showing the products manufactured by G.E.R. in each section. To create a pattern that can be replied multiple times these elements are looped along the conveyor animation before being exported to the engine. This way if the conveyor needs to go faster we only need to change the fps rate of a single element. In gameplay terms, the box collider that acts like a mobile surface it’s manually adjusted to the width and height of the belt, ignoring the objects on top.

Chemicals

The chemical area was one of the featured chapters since the inception of the game (you can see a prototype of a storage full of jars in our trailer), but its final design took second place since we prioritized on main levels and certain parts needed to be finished (like the assembly lines and biohazard scientists). The conveyor belts are used in both engineering (presses and welders) and chemical sections (here instead of welders, you’ll have to avoid acid dispensers).

To reinforce the toxicity of the tanks and elements that appear all over this sector we decided to tint the friezes and walls with a vivid green palette, and add a subtle bevel effect to the warning signs of some of the set pieces. Glasses show strong gradients composed of green, blue, and yellow colors while some details preserve the orange branding used along the facility to create a strong contrast.

Each wall has a composition of multiple color-adjustment layers, in order to obtain a certain metallic look. Finding the right balance of tones was no easy task since Subject W and the scientists with biohazard suits have to be recognizable.

The climbable platforms like machines and tables are drawn with a neutral grey scale to distinguish themselves from the background (the LUT effect applied to the camera will equalize all elements despite its color with a slight blue tone).

Welcome to G.E.R.  

This is the entrance of G.E.R., where Dr. James Warren will meet Dr. Aaron Selten, the head of the facilities.

For this background we went with a clean, restrained look for the back pieces with light glasses and clear walls, allowing other elements like the sign, the desk, the couch, and the info objects to stand out.

In the center of the hall, you can see a big baobab-alike tree with blue pigmentation on its crowns, a statement of the achievements made by the bioengineering division of G.E.R.

By the right side, an elevator gives access to the underground facilities, where the action of the game takes place.

Boss animation process

The Hybrid is the last boss that we’ll be able to show because the rest of them enter spoiler territory. This human-plant experiment breaks free after the merge of a parasite with the poor soul locked inside a stasis tube. Confused after the bonding, this creature will try to defend itself from W with its arm-vines and deploy obstacles to get in our way. Players will need to use multiple skills to confront its attacks and force the host to throw out the creature grafted inside him.

An arm with a spiked ball… what were we thinking

Since we needed to complete its animation set based on the final mechanics (the concept anims were made on a dated pixel art program that wasn’t compatible with our current toolset) we took the opportunity to refine its look, making it bulkier and more detailed.

Mixing DNAs doesn’t seem like a good idea

The animation sequences developed for the cutscenes took some time, with all the bubbles, cables, and floating elements inside the pod. Luckily we recorded some of its core movements so you can see how we create this intricate pixel art pieces. They are very long so feel free to speed up even more the Youtube videos!

Walking

This boss is based on close combat attacks so you must stay away from it most of the time. For this pose, we decided to create a strong-paced animation with little details like the chest expansion and the arm-vines in constant motion.

Wip attack

The Hybrid will use its long arms to create an extended vine and reach Subject W from the distance.

To avoid the attack we need to give players enough time to avoid the attack with the double jump ability. Players need enough time to escape from the attack so we delayed the hit with a charge (the enemy contours its body before releasing the vine). In the end, the step was too much of a giveaway so we cut the animation a little bit to obtain a faster sequence.

The arm is exported separately so it can be rotated inside the game engine and reach the player in any position while maintaining the pixel perfect aesthetic.

Recharging energy

After some time the parasite merged with the human will lose its grip from the host, forcing it to generate a cocoon and regain control (but leaving its form exposed to W’s attacks).

The first thing that we needed to highlight was the weak point (the human head), facilitating its reach by kneeling the character while creating a “little forest” on its base to keep it rooted to the floor. Its arms get entangled on the body, giving away that it can’t attack while maintaining this form. Energy lights flow through the vines while a glowing effect loops during the time that takes to charge and return to its plant form.

Exposed and stunned

If we managed to hit the Hybrid in the previous state the human body will be exposed for a brief moment, leading Subject W to take control over the situation (literally) by releasing the human host from its parasite. The transformation sequences are very tricky because you have to change from one character to another, blending the limbs, head, and other exposed parts, while maintaining the proportions of both the monster and the person.

Turning into human

This was the initial transformation pose, developed to see how the boss turns from plant to human. After designing the sprites, the animation was cut into pieces to transition to multiple states (stunned, recover, etc.).

Transformation and QTE

In order to release the human after using the host skill, we created a little QTE mechanic in which the players need to press the action button repeatedly to free him from the parasite. This was a tricky one since we needed to make it work forward and backward, with all the keyframes designed to move from one stance to another while avoiding sudden jumps or strange positions.

Creating traps

This is a clash based on the use of the double jump so the boss will create new traps on the floor and the roof for each routine. As you can see, this animation also has the energy patterns seen on the recharge stance, this time releasing the energy from its arms into the stage.

Bleargh!

We didn’t record this animation either but we wanted to show the enemy puking at the end of the third hit. It is just fun, isn’t it?

General progress

To be as transparent as we can about the development process we decided to represent the percentage of progress made in different departments so you can see how the game is coming along and what are the parts that are taking more time.

User Interface elements

• Vector art > 75% done | Basically all things related to menus, tutorials, tips, and pop-ups (non-pixel art graphics). Most of this content is waiting in the shelf to be implemented at the end of the development (possible changes to the description of skills, relocation of photos to obtain experience points, etc).

Pixel art

• Animation for bosses > 75% done | The final boss requires a lot of work and is composed of different parts. After finishing it we can speed up things in the animation department.
• Animation for Enemies and the rest of the main characters > 100% done  
• Animation for Cutscenes > 50% done | This part is the easiest to develop because most assets for NPC’s are very simple or need few tweaks from the ones already made to represent certain actions. Elements like monitors or background effects can take more time, aside from the last two bosses that need dedicated animations.
• Backgrounds > 80% done | Our game, like Castlevania SOTN, has a second version of the entire map with an all-new set of assets that will be overlapped above the original stages -Sorry for the SPOILER dear backers (not sorry, muahaha)-. We need to create elements that can be applied to different levels without changing their original structure, and also match with multiple aesthetics. With the help of color-adjustment tools and patience we are managing to obtain great results, but it’s a slow process.

Game design

• Bosses > 70% done | Some of them still need a lot of testing (they have way more different mechanics than a regular enemy) and the final boss is still in an early stage until all of its graphics are done.
• Cutscenes >36% done | One of the slowest tasks of the development. Creating animations for them is going well, but adding them to the engine, estimating the time of each sequence, matching dialogues with poses, inserting FX… work overload.
• Assembling levels > 65% done | An entire sector needs to be done, another one has the structure without enemies and, for the final one (the SOTN gameplay change), we need to add a new layer of decorations, modifying the whole map and including a new set of enemies (luckily they are already designed). This part will go faster after finishing the bosses, having more hands on the level editor.

Audio

OST and Fx > 40% done | Most themes are done and others need the cutscenes to be made. Besides this, our composer is not fully working on the game so he has to carve out time in his exhausting schedule to create the pieces and making compositions right off the bat is very difficult. A song for an entire chapter needs to work at multiple levels: match the type of enemies, aesthetics, and gameplay pace (while playing in a constant loop) so it’s no easy task.

Finding and recording Fx is another time-consuming labor, that needs a lot of testing and editing. The low percentage of this part is due to the need of cutscenes to decide if some FX can be left aside or recycled from other in-game elements.

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As you can see a lot of things need to be done, but the percentage of some tasks will rise faster with the implementation of stuff that is already made. In any case, and as always, we’ll keep you informed about every detail concerning the development.

Hope that you like how the game is coming along.

See you around!